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Dos with Windows 7

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I presently use Windows XP Professional. I spend 80% of my time in DOS as I have written dozens of programs that run in DOS. I use the graphics mode 640x200 dots for displaying text (Mathematics formulas). I print to an HP Laserjet printer from DOS. At Staple the manager let my try my programs on a computer that had Vista as an operating system and my programs would not work. I got an error message full screen not supported. Is there a way to get full screen DOS support and DOS printing (LPT1, I think?) with Windows 7. I have tried DOSbox and it is not acceptable as the screen is too small and printing is not supported. I do not have Windows 7 and I never will if I can not run DOS.

Answers

Have you considered any of the many free virtualization options out there? Virtual PC 7, Vmware Workstation, etc? Those virtualization products (which again, cost nothing) can run DOS just fine. I have no idea if they will allow you to connect through an LPT port though, since you won't have VM guest extensions added in a DOS OS. You could try on your current XP computer by installer the released version of Virtual PC as a test.

MS DOS has been unsupported for nearly 10 years. There will be changes to add further support for it in Windows 7.Ned Pyle [MSFT] - MS Enterprise Platforms Support - Beta Team

Have you considered any of the many free virtualization options out there? Virtual PC 7, Vmware Workstation, etc? Those virtualization products (which again, cost nothing) can run DOS just fine. I have no idea if they will allow you to connect through an LPT port though, since you won't have VM guest extensions added in a DOS OS. You could try on your current XP computer by installer the released version of Virtual PC as a test.

MS DOS has been unsupported for nearly 10 years. There will be changes to add further support for it in Windows 7.Ned Pyle [MSFT] - MS Enterprise Platforms Support - Beta Team

It is possible to run dos screen in dos box on vista, you say the dos is too small, edit the config file, and change display in full screen false to true. it does indeed give you full screen, however only the folders on your pc that you have mounted, are able to be seen in dosbox, I tried this for a setup on a cnc motion controller but could not export the file to the correct directory, basically its a pain in the rear.

I'm not a software developer, but I thought that one of the big changes in XP was that it, as a descendent of Windows NT, had no DOS underpinnings (which were present in the Win 9X family, including ME).

The command line window looks DOS-like, but it's not DOS. Real mode DOS software, like BIOS flashing utilities, may refuse to run under an XP command window.

At my former employer, we had equipment that still ran Windows 98, because it needed a real DOS mode to access some hardware (such as frame grabbers).

I presume that if there are differences in the command line windows between Vista and XP (or Win7 and XP), they may well be work-arounds to accomodate them. The original poster can't need actual DOS, or XP wouldn't have worked for him.

I'm not running any old command-line software at the moment. All that I can suggest is trying to run it under Vista (or Win7) from a command line window that is launched with elevated (administrator) privileges. That circumvents some of the security limitations with Win7.

I have all my business files in DOS, and want to create a start up disc that will run on Vista Home Premiun 64 Professional. My old computer is dead, and the files are on the hard drive. The file is in FAT, from an old version of Windows XP Professional
95-98.If I can not use the disc on a 32 or 64, a disc would boot in DOS would be ok that I can install on an older version of Windows. All suggestions are welcome.

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